Valdez Can Take the Test. But Can She Pass It?

Well, Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez has belatedly qualified to take the mandatory licensing test she flunked in April. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards tells us the sheriff has at last provided the proper documentation she needs to take the test, corroborating that she was a federal agenct in good standing who had completed a basic peace officer's class. The first time Valdez took her exam, she wasn't actually eligible to take it--it's a rather long bureaucratic story, but suffice to say it hints at the sheriff's office own disorganization. Valdez spent the better part of three months studying for the test the first time around and fell just four points shy of a passing score. --Matt Pulle